Grass catchers for mowers are generally box-shaped structures with an opening facing the cutting unit to receive grass clippings discharged by the cutting unit. The box-shaped structure may have opposing sides, a lower wall or panel, and an upper wall or panel. At the opening, the lower wall or panel may include a lip facing the cutting unit. When in use, the lip should be positioned next to the cutting unit. For example, the lip may engage, abut, touch or rest on a corresponding surface of the cutting unit, such as a lateral support bar.
Grass catching devices have been made of materials intended to provide a durable container having minimum weight and cost. For example, some grass catchers have been one-piece molded structures made from plastic or other rigid or semi-rigid materials.
Grass catchers that are made from plastic or similar materials have a tendency to warp, bend, or otherwise become damaged. Grass catchers may warp or bend due to wear and tear, weather and/or temperature extremes and variations, excessive and repeated loading with wet grass clippings or other materials, and other conditions which defy description. After warping or bending, the lip of the lower panel of a grass catcher may no longer fit close to the cutting unit. Instead, a gap as large as an inch or more may open up between the grass catcher lip and cutting unit. If a gap opens, cut grass may fall under the grass catcher or may escape between the grass catcher and the cutting unit. A grass catcher that is warped or bent, especially at or near the lip of the opening, may fail to adequately or sufficiently collect grass from the cutting unit. Instead, cut grass may have to be collected manually, or the grass catcher may need to be replaced.
In an attempt to solve this problem of warping or bending, one approach has been to fasten a stiff metal bar near the lip of the grass catcher using attachment hardware such as rivets. Rivets may extend through holes in the metal bar that match corresponding holes in the lip of the grass catcher. This is unsatisfactory for two reasons. First, using attachment hardware such as rivets to fasten a metal bar to the lip of a grass catcher lengthens assembly time and increases manufacturing costs. Second, rivets or other attachment hardware tend to break or become dislodged due to normal wear and tear, as well as many other adverse conditions that may cause the metal bar to become loose.
Another approach that has been suggested is molding lateral ribs in the lower wall or panel of a grass catcher. An example of this approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,663. This approach, however, is unsatisfactory because the grass catcher may still be subject to warping or bending.
Warping or bending of grass catchers is a very common problem for reel-type lawn mowers. Reel-type mowers generally are used for golf courses, fields and other mowing applications that demand a very high quality of cut. The cutting unit(s) of a reel-type mower may include a frame in which each cutting reel is driven by a motor for rotation about a generally horizontal and laterally extending axis. Grass is cut between the rotating reel blades and a bedknife mounted between the side frames of the cutting unit. To achieve a clean surface after cutting, it is highly desirable to collect cut grass clippings discharged from a reel-type mower using a grass catcher. Grass catchers for reel-type mowers may be positioned adjacent the cutting unit, either forwardly or rearwardly of the cutting unit. The grass catcher may rest or be releasably coupled to the mower using a variety of different alternative attachment devices so that the grass catcher is supported and positioned sufficiently close to the reel to receive and collect clippings from the reel.
What is needed is an improved grass catcher that is reinforced to protect it from warping or bending, especially near the lip facing the cutting unit. A grass catcher reinforcement also is needed that may be manufactured and/or assembled without use of rivets, threaded fasteners, or other attachment hardware. An improved grass catcher also is needed that may be reinforced without significant additional cost. An improved grass catcher is needed that will outlast conventional grass catchers without a gap between the lip and the cutting unit.